meltwater

noun

melt·​wa·​ter ˈmelt-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: water derived from the melting of ice and snow

Examples of meltwater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The meltwater carved a deep channel through the soft rock and, over the ensuing millennia, patiently fashioned the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. —Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026

By mapping the overall snow depth in the entire basin, researchers can better estimate the annual quantity and timing of meltwater release that enters the Salt River system. —Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026

Wet avalanches involve snowpack with water moving through it, either because rain has fallen on the snow or because warming temperatures have caused meltwater to pass through the layers of the snowpack. —Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026

But nighttime temperatures will drop back below freezing, creating a gradual thawing that prevents the landscape from being inundated with meltwater. —Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meltwater

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater

Kids Definition

meltwater

noun

melt·​wa·​ter ˈmelt-ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

: water that comes from the melting of ice and snow